Young welders will compete for prizes during the annual Illinois Valley Community College Welding Competition presented by IVCC and the American Welding Society, according to a press release.

The competition will take place from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17, in Building J of IVCC’s East campus.

High school and college students will compete in separate divisions, showcasing their skills, learning about the industry and networking with representatives from local companies and IVCC instructors, according to the release.

Welders will complete a hands-on project, which, for high school competitors, is accompanied by a written quiz.

Awards, including scholarships, cash prizes and welding gear, will be given to top winners in all divisions and processes.

Registration for high school students will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the competition in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) starting at 9 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 12:15 p.m.

College welders can compete in SMAW or gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Registration for SMAW begins at 11 a.m., with the competition starting at 11:30 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 1:45 p.m.

Registration for college GMAW competitors will begin at 12 p.m., with the competition starting at 1 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 3 p.m.

According to the release, pre-registration for the competition is required by April 10 and participants may only register for one competition.

The cost of each division is $20.

Seats in each classification are limited. To register, visit www.ivcc.edu/enroll.

Use the class ID 27933 for High School SMAW, 27932 for College SMAW and 27931 for College GMAW.

Building J of IVCC’s East campus is located at 815 N Orlando Smith Street in Oglesby.

For more information, visit the IVCC Welding page, or call the Continuing Education department at 815-224-0427.